The Internet is NOT American, it belongs to all of us.
North America comprises only 11.2% of people online. So why are a piddling minority telling the world how the Internet is to be run?
The Internet belongs to all of us. There should be no restriction, censorship, or limitation for anyone using it. No government should be able to regulate it in the slightest way. They are not talking about limiting their just own traffic. Anything routed through a Tier 1 provider is affected.
"A Tier 1 ISP by definition doesn't pay transit fees to anyone to reach any destination in the Internet Region... The litmus test is, "Does this ISP pay anyone (or barter) to reach any destination in the Internet Region?" If the answer is "No" then it is a "Tier 1 ISP" and if the answer is "Yes" then it is a "Tier 2 ISP."
Tier 1 ISP's (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc.) do not pay to send or receive information, but they want to charge YOU for faster access. If you don't pay, they slow you down. That's also called extortion.
This will affect everything you see and do on the net. Overnight, if you are not American, you become a second rate user. If American ISP's do this, your own will follow soon after. Think it will be cheaper to use the Internet after that?
The Americans have already shown they are untrustworthy in invading your privacy. If you are a foreigner (to them) they will continue to spy on you in every way. Their own government leaders lie to Congress without fear of punishment. The two level system will give their corporations priority over anything you do and no matter how much extra you are forced to pay, your traffic will always come second to theirs.
If the US passes a two level Internet system, the transatlantic cables to the states should be cut.Just for the reduction in spam and spying, it will be worth it. At the end of the day, they need us a lot more than we need them.
Speak out against this madness now. Boycott US corporations until sanity breaks out.
Sources: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
http://drpeering.net/FAQ/Who-are-the-Tier-1-ISPs.php